Friday, September 9, 2011

SPC Quickies Volume Nine - 3DS Ambassador Edition Part One

It's been nearly a year since our last brush with the Quickies, so what better time to bring them back than with swiftly reviewing five of the ten NES 3DS Ambassador games from Nintendo? For those unfamiliar with how SPC Quickie reviews work, here's the score breakdown:

5 - Fantastic

4 - Great

3 - Fair

2 - Poor

1 - Awful

===

Super Mario Bros.

One of the most pivotal games in the history of gaming returns and leads the way. The premise is simple: collect coins and power-ups, bash bad guys over the head, and scroll from left-to-right, in Mario's attempt to save Princess Peach Toadstool. There's eight worlds of four levels each. Every fourth level takes place in a castle of King Koopa's where the player must take down the villainous foe either by lighting him up with fireballs or running under him and dropping the bridge he stands on. The problem with this version is that the run and jump buttons are relegated to the A and B buttons, and on the 3DS these are in precarious positions. This takes some getting used to, but if you can persevere, you have a classic in your pocket.

[SuperPhillip Says: 4/5]

The Legend of Zelda

The game that started a legend, The Legend of Zelda threw players into an open world where exploration was the call of the day. Through exploring the game's eight dungeons or levels, collecting items, weapons, upgrades, triforce pieces, and heart containers which bestow more health, our hero Link could make the charge to Death Mountain and face off against the sinister Ganon. Exploration is key, but oftentimes the player will be lost without a guide making for some frustration. Who in their right mind would have the patience to burn every bush, bomb every rock, and push every stone? Perhaps my five year-old self, but not now. If you can summon the patience, a grand and difficult adventure awaits the brave.

[SuperPhillip Says: 4/5]

Metroid

Bounty hunter Samus Aran's first romp took her to planet Zebes where her task was to take out the nefarious Mother Brain and get out of the planet alive. Seeing as a great deal of the halls and corridors pretty much look similar in the NES version and bombing every little nook and cranny for secrets was a necessity, the original Metroid hasn't aged too well. Another hindrance is that when you die, you start back at Brinstar with only thirty health. This means you must grind and destroy enemies for health if you want a fighting chance. Those looking to play this game will need a map of some kind. Others can simply play the much enhanced remake, Metroid: Zero Mission on the Game Boy Advance.

[SuperPhillip Says: 2/5]

NES Open Tournament Golf

Ambassadors get the opportunity to check out two golf games on the 3DS, Let's Golf 3D and this title, NES Open Tournament Golf. Like golf, one must possess patience, persistence, and the almighty putter in order to achieve victory. It can be quite challenging gauging how far your shots will actually travel. You need to literally use math and calculate the distance of each and every shot. The shot gauge is tremendously fast which makes whiffing shot incredibly easy if you don't the correct amount of precision and timing. If you can get over the steep learning curve, you have a competent golf title worth playing and enjoying.

[SuperPhillip Says: 3/5]

Zelda II: The Adventure of Link

Link's second adventure took him north of the original game's stomping grounds where a put to rest Zelda needed waking up. It's up to Link to wake her from her deep sleep and avoid having Ganon revived. That's easier said than done as Zelda II is one tough hombre. It's mostly a 2D side-scroller, unlike every other title in the series. You gain experience (to upgrade Link's stats) through slaying monsters like Octoroks and Moblins, earn items and spells, and challenge the game's multiple temples. Sometimes it can be a challenge just knowing what to do. What makes this game especially irritating is that if you lose all your lives, you have to start back at the game's beginning temple. A game not for the faint of heart, Zelda II: The Adventure of Link gets the title of hardest Zelda game period.

[SuperPhillip Says: 3/5]

Coming next week we'll look at the latter half of the games given as part of the Nintendo 3DS's Ambassador program. We'll also have five reasons to detest Nintendo, a review of Resistance 3 for the PS3, and much more. Please look forward to it.